Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special recently premiered on Disney+ and it filled the Christmas sweet corner ahead of the holidays. This Disney+ offering is even more unique as it marks one of the last times James Gunn will be associated with the MCU. After GotG Volume 3, the director only be part of the DCU. But, it looks like the DCU CEO has already sprinkled a DC reference into his Marvel special.
DC reference in James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy special
Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
The Holiday Special focused on Guardians overcoming heartbreak. However, the show itself was not heavy. Instead, it was cartoonish, fun, and focused on holiday cheer. In the special, there is a moment when Mantis and Drax successfully kidnap Kevin Bacon (who has been referenced several times in previous GotG movies). But the duo soon realize he’s not the hero they thought he was.
And that he was more than an actor. When Kevin Bacon realizes that his captors are disappointed after learning this fact, he first pretends to be a British World War II pilot. But after that, Mantis tells him to speak in his own voice. This is the moment when he strangely imitates Batman. He says, “Hello, I’m the Batman. Hello, I’m Bruce Wayne.
This isn’t the first Batman reference in the MCU.
Batman
It’s a great DCU reference that was probably put together deliberately by James Gunn. After all, he made The Suicide Squad for DC even before became CEO. And he also said he campaigned for a Marvel and DC crossover. However, this isn’t the first DC reference in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In Eternals, Gilgamesh calls Kingo’s valet “Alfred”, a reference to the Dark Knight’s butler.
Also, the son of Phastos alludes to Superman in a conversation with Ikaris. The child tells him that he saw the hero shoot lasers with his eyes and wear a cape. Ikaris counters by saying he’s not wearing a cape, but the allusion to the DC hero is clear. So, it’s safe to assume that characters like Batman and Superman could exist in MCU comics.
As such, since Kevin Bacon pretends to be a real hero in the conversation with Mantis and Drax, the superhero he chooses to be is therefore Batman. Presumably, Batman is a high profile hero in the MCU just as he is in DC. It’s an interesting reference alongside the myriad of DC stars that Gunn has included in the Holiday Special. For example, have you spotted DC’s Harley Quinn actress Margot Robbie as a real actress in the MCU?
Have you spotted any other DCU references? Let us know.
